Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Julia O'Donnell

'I was six when my father died so my mother has been everything to me. Wherever I go I tell the world about my wonderful mother. I'm a singer today because of her encouragement. She has been the biggest influence in my life' - Daniel O'Donnell 
 
Irish singing star Daniel O'Donnell's mother, Julia, grew up on a remote island off the 
northwest coast of Ireland, going barefoot and doing hard labour as a child during the poverty-stricken 1920s. 
 
The hard work continued through her teenage years as she picked potatoes in the fields and travelled to Scotland to gut fish in the ports. After she married and settled in Kincasslagh, Julia's beloved husband, Francie, was forced to leave his family for months on end to work on farms, again in Scotland. The work was physically demanding and eventually took its toll. Sadly, Julia found herself widowed and penniless with five children while still in her forties. 
 
In this classic and inspiring story of triumph over adversity, Julia tells how she battled through this dark period by knitting sweaters into the early hours of every night to support her family. They were sold in America by relatives and the money was sent back to Ireland by post. Then, in an amazing twist of fate, this hard-working woman and dedicated mother watched from the wings as her offspring flourished in life. Her daughter Margo and son Daniel went on to achieve fame as chart-topping singers. 
 
In The Mother's Story, Julia takes us on a journey from her humble beginnings growing up in a thatched cottage on Owey Island, to a glitzy lifestyle mingling with celebrities and royalty. Poignant, warm and laced with great humour, Julia's story gives us a fascinating insight into this remarkable Irish family's life.

The Mother's Story

A Tale of Hardship and Maternal Love

Nevile Gwynne

Do you know your Kings and Queens of England by heart? Can you tell your Ethelred from your Ethelbert? Your Marcia from your Matilda? 
 
Well, passionate educator Mr Gwynne is back – and this time he is taking on the entirety of British history – so you will never be in the dark again. Within the pages of this little gem – bursting with our small island’s rich past – he teaches us the history of England through her remarkable monarchs. 
 
It is Mr Gwynne’s belief that a certain amount of what you might read in other history books may well be wrong. It is his aim to show you why. 
 
Concise, thorough and utterly fascinating, this is the perfect book to be enjoyed by young and old, to be read at a time when, for many, harking back to our rich past seems much more preferable than living in the dreary present. 
 
And when it comes to the benefits of education, Mr Gwynne is never wrong!

Gwynne's Kings and Queens

The Indispensable History of England and Her Monarchs

Frank Shaw

Joan Shaw

‘I was talking and laughing with a school friend in the street when suddenly there was the eerie wailing notes of the air raid siren filling the air. I can remember that our laughter stopped straight away, and I recall feeling chilled and scared. Doors were opened and people came out of their houses looking up to the sky … It was a Sunday morning on a beautiful summer’s day with blue skies and really warm sunshine. But within minutes our lives had changed, and the child in me had gone, never to return.’ Mrs Mary Earle, Kent 
After the surrender of France to Germany Churchill announced that ‘the Battle of Britain is about to begin’ and on 10 July 1940 the Luftwaffe began bombing ships in the English Channel in readiness for a full air assault on the south of England. In August, German aircraft were attacking coastal airfields, moving inland to attack radar bases, further RAF airfields and aircraft factories, until finally turning their attention to London and other major cities. But Hitler had underestimated the determination of the RAF and by mid-September the Luftwaffe sustained such great losses that Britain had won the battle for our skies and the German invasion was called off. 
This third instalment in the ‘We Remember’ series is filled with stories from servicemen from the air and on the ground, and the men, women and children who witnessed the extraordinary fights between British and German planes.

We Remember the Battle of Britain

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